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Oct 31, 2012

Happy Wednesday! Happiness is:

1. The 4-day work week last week and this week's 3-day work week! Long vacations!
2. We bought a car. Its not new, but it will do.
3. I had my driver's license renewed! I can drive! Woohooo, yes to roadtrips!
4. I had my passport renewed at DFA in Robinsons Galleria and it was super fast. Will get it on November 23 and then I will be ready for our Cambodia trip in February!
5. The Spa date with my BFF's Rona and Ehms last Friday.
6. Pichi-pichi
7. Zumba! I missed this!
8. My Apad and Sidney Sheldon's ebooks. Perfect companion while waiting at the doctor, etc.
9. Our new vouchers for Bejewelled spa. Ha ha, super gastos!
10. Going home to Batangas tomorrow. Hoping for a safe trip.

Oct 30, 2012

My friends Ehms, Rona and I had a spa date last October 26. It was a holiday and what better way to spend it than to have a full-pampering afternoon with your best friends? We bought 3 vouchers from Dealspot for P750 for the package that includes a body massage, body scrub, foot spa and facial. It was a 4-hour delightful treat at Rilassante Spa!

We were a little late at our 3pm appointment but we were immediately whisked inside for the foot spa. The spa was dimly lit, smelled nice (according to my friends because I was having a bad allergy attack) and the service was really good.

After the footspa, we went to the other side of the spa for our body scrub. We were in dimly-lighted room and we just lowered the curtains so that we can see each other. But what little conversation we were having was cut short because we were so sleepy with all the pampering! My only complaint with Risallante was that they only have one shower and the water was not strong and there were no body wash. So we took turns having our shower and then we went back for the massage. It was heavenly!

After the massage, we whisk to another room for the facial. Above is a picture I took: that's my halloween look, ha ha ha!

So here I was, well scrubbed and all, and sated from the wonderful massage! After that, my friends treated me to their super-belated birthday treat at Yellow Cab. Despite my blinding headache due to the allergies, it was a super fun date with my best friends and I am indeed looking forward to more!

Risallante Spa is located at 2/F Jovita Bldg, Banawe cor Tirad Pass in Quezon City (infront of Orthopedic Hospital).

Oct 29, 2012

I know I am perfect. I am the only one at the office who doesn't complain about fat cheeks, big calves, big butt, skinny arms, flat chest and the list goes on. I am perfect just the way I am and my husband agree. But if somebody else is to look at me, they will see a 30-something mother of 3 with a big belly, double chin and sagging arms! But hey, I gave birth to 3 wonderful kids and has been married to a wonderful man for almost 14 years so I have the perfect excuse to be fat, old and shabby looking! But I don't use these excuses because I continually work for a nice body. I do Zumba exercises, I eat sensibly and dress according to my age and size and I am doing all this for ME! But I need all the help I can get and thanks to Wacoal, its possible to dress sensibly, and sexily! With the help of these beautiful Wacoal undergarments, I can hide unwanted fats, feel sexy and radiate confidence, making me feel just perfect in my own skin! Yes, I can be body beautiful at any age with Wacoal!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to the only eyes that matter, mine, I am body beautiful! Thanks Wacoal!

Have you booked your 2013 vacation yet? Well, now is your chance because Cebu Pacific is now again having their P1 sale for today only on ALL DOMESTIC and ALL INTERNATIONAL flights! Travel period is from June 1 to December 31, 2013 only so hurry and book now! Total domestic fare for a round trip fare without luggage is around P1,300++. Not bad, right?

Oct 25, 2012

Inspired by James, I am writing my own Top 10 Philippine Travel Destination of the few places that I have visited. Okay, so this is not a top 10, just a top 7. Here goes, in no particular order, since I haven't traveled enough(yet!) to make the distinction:

1. Mt. Pinatubo- A death-defying trip! The beauty of the volcano crater really makes you feel that a higher being is in control. How such a thing of beauty could come out from something so destructive was indeed worth seein. Of course, that was before we had a death-defying walk back to camp after that sudden and heavy downpour. Think flashflooods and landslides. But still worth it, just make sure it wont rain!
2. Boracay-First time was in 2007, our first travel with the BFF's and the start of our traveling itch, then in 2008 for a company-sponsored planning, then in 2010 with the while family and then in 2011 as a side trip when we attended a wedding in Aklan and again this month, just me and the hubby! Yes!
3. Bohol- Most memorable travel because it was a first of a lot of firsts: first plane ride for the kids and first time to travel as a family and made wonderful memories in Dec 2008! Then again in June 2009, me and my husband's first travel as a couple and then again in 2010 for a company-planning.
4. Coron, Palawan-If I were to choose the best, most beautiful place in the Philippines, it would have to be Coron. Super beautiful beaches and lakes, and super cheap food and accommodations If only I could go back there with my family, then this would be my Top 1 destination.
5. Puerto Princesa, Palawan- Another travel for hubby and me. Super loved it and saw the Underground River.
6. Cebu-Another trip for the family. Wonderful, wonderful place and memories!
7. Ilocos Norte-A company-sponsored trip, but still so fun seeing those beautiful and historic sites!

Oct 24, 2012

Happiness is counting your blessings and finding out you have a lot to be thankful for! Happiness is:

1. That wonderful trip to Boracay with my husband. After almost 15 years of marriage, we can still travel together and have lots of fun! While it was my 5th time to go to Boracay, but the first time with just me and my husband, each of these visits have their own sets of wonderful memories that I will cherish forever!
2. Ishi is better after that 4-day sickness that almost made me cancel our trip. Thank God it was just a viral infection. The night before our trip, I brought her to the hospital's ER because her fever shoot up to 39.4 while the whole day she was fine. Talk about scary!
3. Kris and Inay for all their help while I was away and for the constant reply to my text queries on how the kids were doing.
4. Dinuguan, chicken inasal, sinigang, spam, cup noodles, isaw, barbecue, buco shake, nagaraya, tanduay ice, cali, julie's bakeshop, ice buko salad and a lot more! It was a Boracay eat-a lot!
5. This 4-day work week and the next 3-day work week! I still need my rest.
6. Paying off some loans and heaving a sigh of relief that they are almost over! Yey!
7. The forthcoming trip to Cambodia! Super, super excited!
8. Vitamin C, Dalandan and anything else to keep the virus away.
9. Vangie for helping me, again, with my trip. Ha ha, thanks Vangie!
10. The office, for not missing me that much and letting me have my vacation in peace. But it was a different thing when I got back so no blogging since Saturday because of work.

Oct 17, 2012

If you start counting your blessings, you will never run out of something to be thankful for! Happiness is:
1. Our Boracay trip is tomorrow!
2. I am going to Cambodia in February. Yep, ticketed and all, but no budget whatsoever. Ha ha, thats the optimistic me.
3. The cute blouse my Ate Dianne gave me.
4. Inay is back safely home.
5. The blog income, which I was initially planning to withdraw for the Kindle is now going to be my Cambodia fund! Hope my Google Adsense income reaches payout level by then!
6. Kris' OJT is over and her sembreak is almost here. Rest!
7. Noel had his contract signing for proby position yesterday and had his orientation today. Thank you God for this blessing.
8. My boss is doing better now.
9. My office laptop is now okay, thanks to the newly installed HDD.
10. For the lost inches and lbs.

Oct 16, 2012

At this very moment, I want a large platter of Tacos, with lots and lots of cheese! We had this at a promo at TGI Fridays in Galleria and it was indeed a very filling lunch. And now, I want more! (Was cleaning up my picture folder when I chanced upon this, ha ha.) Now, how do I satisfy this craving when I am on a diet?

Oct 15, 2012

Hot pandesal from Pan de Manila and a choice between cheezee spread and coco jam is my idea of a 'healthy' snack! Ha ha, so maybe if I chose a wheat pandesal (is there such a thing) and spread it lightly with butter, then that would be healthier? But it would be less fun :)

Oct 12, 2012

On the last day of our Ilocos tour, the last stop was the historic town of Vigan, more precisely, in Calle Crisologo. We did pasalubong and souvenir shopping and tried to squeeze more a bit of sight seeing.

I will make a separate post on the souvenir items that you can buy at Calle Crisologo.

One of the main attractions in Calle Crisologo is this Calesa ride, but we don't have time anymore to do this.

At the tourism office in Calle Crisologo, there are several pictures of the old Vigan places as compared to how they look now.

One of the old houses in Calle Crisologo.

A big map of the places to see in the heritage city of Vigan.

A perfect spot for photo ops!

Just posing beside the calesa, just because!

Vigan was fun, but I wish we had more time to explore like visit the museums and each nook and cranny, but since we were in a hurry as we are travelling back to Manila, this was a short but fun trip! See you again soon Vigan!

Oct 11, 2012

Blogging, more than being my outlet for saying things that nobody reads,ha ha, has given me a lot of opportunities. I have won tshirts, slippers, movie tickets and free meals, and found new friends, thanks to blogging. And of course, money too. And today, I received my second payout from Link Worth. This is $35 for a month's blogging. Not bad, right? Not bad at all. This money will go to my Kindle fund. I have already bought a camera, paid for my mom's fare to the province and bought a sofa, thanks to blog money. So, do try blogging and enjoy writing while earning!

Oct 10, 2012

Happy Wednesday! Its already mid-week and that in itself is a cause for happiness:
1. A day and a week before our Boracay trip. Just me and hubby, so mala-honeymoon, ha ha.
2. No money, but no worries. Hakuna matata. God will provide.
3. Missing my mom who is still in the province, but so thankful for my sister Kris who is really stepping up to be a very responsible Tita.
4. The fun family day of our company at Manila Ocean Park.
5. The tons of pictures we took at the family day.
6. The side trip to Luneta's Children Playground to rest and put up our tired feet while the kids roam the park.
7. The killer Zumba session last night! It was punishment, ha ha.
8. Aryssa's leche flan and Pizza's left over cake. (Is anybody here on a diet, ha ha).
9. Kuya Mher's bopis. Made me forget my no-rice diet, I had more-rice diet instead.
10. Staying overnight at my sister's house and bonding with the kids!

Oct 9, 2012

During our last day in Ilocos, lunch was at Cafe Leona in Calle Crisologo before we head back to Manila. Since we left the hotel at 9am, we had some time to buy souvenirs and pasalubongs before lunch. I went in search of the empanadahan, and had time to take a quick photo at Plaza Burgos.

The plaza is just beside St. Paul's Cathedral. I didnt have time to go inside the church, but I fondly remember this church because I said one prayer there the first time I came to visit, and I knew came true!

Plaza Burgos was constructed to honor the martyrdom of Father Jose P. Burgos, who was part of the famous GOMBURZA, who were executed and became martyrs.

Oh, and one other structure that will catch your eye is this McDonald's that tries very hard to fit in among old buildings, but sadly, it cant. Oh well, that is the price we have to pay for progress, even in a heritage site.

Oct 8, 2012

Part one of the We Travel to Eat post was our meal at the first night of our stay at Fort Ilocandia. While the food at the first night was mostly miss, the second night was a great improvement! Most of the dishes on the first night were cream-based and after a while, you just cant stand them, no matter how good they were. This second night, the dishes were varied and really good! This apple salad appetizer was really good!

This roasted chicken with lemon slices was really very good. The chicken was tender and cooked just right!

This chopsuey, veggie dish was a welcome sight! The sweetness was just right, and the veggies cooked to prefection.

This fish dish was my favorite of the evening. I think I ate most of it, ha ha!

This pasta was not a hit. We left most of it untouched.

This smoked fish was another big hit. It was really, really good and we wanted to ask for more!

The soup was fine. Ha ha, not much of a description because it was not memorable.

This spareribs dish was also yummy! We really had a fun dinner!

And the fruits as dessert was perfect to cap off a enjoyable dinner and to wash off our palates of the taste from the food.

And there was cake too, and this time, it tasted as good as it looked!

Oct 7, 2012

I love Sundays! They are time spent well with the family, in malls or parks, or even just at home. I actually love it when we are just at home, lying around, playing with our cellphones or just watching TV. There is not much fanfare, but the fact that we are together makes it all fun, simple and enjoyable. After a good Sunday lunch, we just stay together, swapping stories or even doing our own things, but together. Of course, its a good thing that we have a beautiful home, however small. My kids love lying on the floor, so I m thinking of getting a good carpet. My friend told me to shop sales on carpeting in Lakewood and I will do just that! My friend Rona has a beautiful rug on her living room and I want something like that for my home too. I want something that is not too hard to clean so that it will be alright to lie on it. I cant wait to surprise my family with a new carpet one Sunday and have fun and create new memories! I am sure that our home will be a better place for everybody in my family!

One Friday night, before my diet started, my office mates and I decided to try the eat-all-you-can offering at The Old Spaghetti House (TOSH) at Robinsons Galleria. It was only for a limited time and only at P149 for pasta-all-you-can and add P50 for pizza-all you can.

So for P199, we waited for 30 minutes to be seated as there were lots of people lining up.

Oct 6, 2012

One time, me and my office mates were craving for something sweet and decided to get some ice cream. We love Arce Dairy so we got one gallon in vanilla flavor and another in avocado. Then, Aryssa had this brilliant idea to get some Oishi Sponge. We all agreed that it was the best idea ever! So, we crushed the sponge and put it on the vanilla ice cream and it was divine! The sweetness of the chocolate sponge, as well as the texture made eating the ice cream so good! You must try it to believe me!

Oct 5, 2012

This early, some people are already planning what to do with their Christmas Bonus. Most of them are thinking of getting the new gadgets: Iphones, new laptops, Ipads and the likes. But these things are disposable and will have to be replaced in a few months, once the new models or the newest craze arrive. My suggestion is to put your bonus initially in a savings account. Then, assess your finances. Pay off your debts and settle any accountability. Then, save the money for investment. Some people with think of investing in stocks or bonds, or putting the money in time deposits, and it is okay, as long as you study the process and your choices. Others will use it to put up a business or a sideline that will earn them more money. And I know some people who will use the money to save up for the house of their dream, like me! But of course, our hard-earned money must be protected from scam and easy, get-rich schemes! For housing investment, I would choose an expert to assist me. If I decide to check out real estate franchise, I would of course ask the experts in the industry. So think very hard what you will do with your Christmas bonus!

Over lunch today, we had a nice discussion over making house buying decisions and what would really be a good place to choose. My friend Vangie wanted a house somewhere in Cavite, because it only takes around 5 minutes and you will already be at SM Mall of Asia. Joes said she wants a house in Montalban area as the two recent major metro flooding left it unaffected. I said I want a house up the hills of Antipolo because both of my houses suffered from the flooding! Of course, I quickly changed my mind when they said it was a choice between flooding or landslide and other earthquake-related concerns. I guess, each of us is right and wrong at the same time. Since we all had to consider our own budgets, what could be the perfect place for one will not be good for the other. Then they asked me again why I am not living in my house and instead chose to rent in the city. I told them that the kids are in school and the house is too far away from where my husband works now. But I know that we will move there someday so I have no plans of selling the house. I just cant, especially with all the effort I put into making it a home. The tiled floor looks like the ones on display at barnardsflooring-america.com. I am so proud of this house because we built it from scratch so I will never sell it. I cant bear to have it rented also. I know one day, we will get to live there and that location will just be perfect for us!